That was followed by a counter report (out of New York) that Iverson was not that bad off because a wise financial advisor and friend had essentially put Iverson’s money in a trust that paid him a yearly allotment and he couldn’t touch the rest. I want to believe the latter report, but the truth likely is somewhere in the middle.

According to docs, Allen brings in $62,500 in monthly income, but his expenses are FAR, FAR, greater … costing him a cool $358,376.66 PER MONTH!!!!…

A large chunk — $125,749.33 to be exact — is spent paying off various creditors (like his jeweler) … and some goes to his mortgages (but not for long, since his ATL crib is about to be auctioned off).

But Allen says he blows a lot on OTHER expenses too … like $10,000/month on clothes, $10,000/month on grocery/house items, $1,000/month on dry cleaning, $5,000/month on entertainment, $5,000/month on restaurants … and so on.

Those figures need a disclaimer — be careful trusting the numbers lawyers use in a divorce case. Or any case. The goal here is for Iverson’s lawyers to make him as destitute as they can, therefore reducing what he has to pay his soon-to-be ex-wife.

My guess is Iverson is living way, way beyond his means anymore. I hope that a smart financial advisor did leave a safety net there for him.

In the end, who knows what is real. But this is the kind of controversy that has shadowed Iverson since he was in high school, it’s part of what has made him a polarizing figure. Which is a shame, because his game was so much fun.

I don’t remember playing tonight. I didn’t play. Guys get a lot of money to be ready to play. No Knute Rockne speeches. It’s your job. If you’re a plumber and you don’t do your job, you don’t get any work. I don’t think a plumber needs a pep talk. If a doctor botches operations, he’s not a doctor anymore. If you’re a basketball player, you come ready. It’s called maturity. It’s your job.

Like it or not, motivation is part of an NBA coach’s job.

But that’s also precisely what Popovich is doing.

His credentials dwarf any other coach’s. He can play to his own ego and absolve himself of responsibility – and players will seek to please him. His years of success have earned him the ability to motivate this way, a method no other coach could use without alienating his team.

So, why not hold Motiejunas to what became a four-year, $31 million offer sheet once matched? Houston got something in return – a later trigger date on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ 2017-18 salary. Originally, that decision had to be made March 1 – which would’ve meant dropping Motiejunas from the team this season to prevent his salary from counting next season. Now, the Rockets can make that call in July, after this season is complete.

The following two Julys, Houston will also have a choice on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ upcoming salary or dropping him.

Essentially, Motiejunas is signing the most lucrative Hinkie Special in NBA history. If he plays well and stays healthy, the Rockets have Motiejunas at an affordable rate. If he struggles or his back injuries flare up, they can drop him with little to no penalty.

After they backed themselves into this corner, Motiejunas and his agent, B.J. Armstrong, didn’t do so bad. Considering the similarity between this contract and the Nets’ original offer sheet, it seems Houston helped Armstrong save face after a bungled free agency (which is easier to accept when you’re adding a talented reserve to a formidable team).

But for how little is guaranteed and how much control the Rockets hold over the next four years, wouldn’t Motiejunas have been better off accepting the $4,433,683 qualifying offer?

This means Motiejunas can’t sign with the Nets, who signed him to the original offer sheet, for one year.

I bet it also means Motiejunas and Houston have agreed to a new contract. Otherwise, why release him from the offer sheet? The Rockets would be giving up a tremendous amount of leverage out of the goodness of their hearts – unless this is just a prelude to a new deal with Houston.